Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

Synopsis

A special 60-minute documentary made to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘On The Origin Of Species’. Passionate Darwinian Sir David Attenborough shares his deeply personal views and makes a powerful case for the importance of the science of evolution. He reflects on this globally important idea, asking three key questions: How and why did Darwin come up with his theory? Why do we think he was right? And why is it more important now than ever before?

To find out the answers, he goes on a journey through his own lifetime and back to Darwin’s to track the changes in our understanding of the natural world. Since Darwin’s time, major scientific discoveries have helped to underpin and strengthen the evidence for his revolutionary and controversial idea. Sir David helps viewers appreciate the understanding of the natural world before the idea of evolution had been accepted in the 19th century. He traces Darwin’s Beagle voyage and visits the home, Down House, where Darwin worried and puzzled over the origins of life. He also looks at a series of objections thrown at Darwin’s great book, "On The Origin Of Species". He answers them by revisiting his alma mater, Cambridge University, where the DNA double helix was discovered, and by going back to his roots in Leicestershire, where a schoolboy unearthed a significant fossil - the earliest life form then known - in the 1950s.

IDVD includes Darwin’s Struggle (Origin of Species) and sequences from several of David’s other series.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2009

Year of production

2009

Notes

Broadcast on BBC1 on 1/2/2009

Subjects

Biology

Keywords

biographies; Darwin, Charles; evolution; Attenborough, David

Credits

Contributor

David Attenborough

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£19.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

60 minutes

Year

2009

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

2 Entertain Video

Email

DVDenquiryline@bbc.com

Web

http://www.2entertainvideo.co.uk/ External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7612 3000

Fax

020 7612 3003

Address

BBC Worldwide
33 Foley Street
London
W1W 7TL

Notes

Specialises in distributing archival film and television titles, predominantly licensed from the BBC (the principal shareholder is BBC Worldwide). Sale on DVD through retail outlets. As of 2016 2Entertain is being gradually wound down and its output reduced. If something is not available via them it is advisable to try the BBC Store at https://store.bbc.com/

 

Available from retail outlets